This application relates to electronic computing and more particularly to deployment of boot images in diskless servers.
Computing networks may be populated with servers and client computers. Servers are generally more powerful computers that provide common functions such as record sharing and Internet access to the client computers. Client computers may be fully functional computers, each having a processor, hard drive, CD ROM drive, floppy drive and system memory.
A central server may contain one or more blade computers, which are ultra-dense, low power blade computers designed to provide a high level of computing power in a relatively small space. In some applications hundreds of blade computers may be mounted in a single rack. Because blade computers consume less space, power, and produce less heat than conventional rack-mounted computers, they may result in significant cost savings. Additionally, blade computers may be connected in parallel to form computing engines of immense power.
Some blade computers utilize servers referred to as “diskless servers” which do not include a hard drive or other magnetic storage media. The absence of a hard drive or other magnetic storage media prevents a typical disk-based boot operation from being implemented. Thus, additional techniques to implement boot operations in the blade computer systems would find utility.